L’Oreal Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow or L’Oreal Les Monos by Colour Riche Eyeshadow are launching at drugstores now with the L’Oreal Spring 2016 Collection. I haven’t gotten the name down quite right yet as I keep hearing them called Monos Eyeshadows in the UK but the displays here in the US they refer them as Les Monos. Let’s just call them L’Oreal Single Eyeshadow shades and call it a day, sound good?
L’Oreal Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow are available in 14 shade selections with both matte and shimmer finishes for $5.99 each and should be popping up at your local drugstores right about now. L’Oreal’s no stranger to the single eyeshadow world as they have a very successful selection of Infallible Eyeshadows that everyone knows and loves plus they have done many single shades in the past however, with the Les Monos Eyeshadows they venture into a new formula and texture.
L’Oreal Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow comes housed in tiny black compacts with clear windows that display the shade of each shadow. They weight in at 0.12 oz and should store quite easily due to the smaller size of the compact. Dare I say they are kinda cute to look at?
According to L’Oreal these are first eyeshadow with an “infused gel technology” which provides intense pigment in a soft, velvety texture. I think velvety could be misleading as these are not velvety in the least. To best describe I’d have to say the remind me most of Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow or Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eyeshadow but with a bit of a softer texture. They do have a gel-like consistency with a loosely packed texture that has a slightly creamy feel. They tend to flake up when you press into them with a brush or sponge and they do have a bit of fall out during application. If you use an eyeshadow brush I think you’ll find they have more fall out or you might experience issues picking up color. I’d recommend a sponge eyeshadow application to pick up and apply color to lids and blend with your regular shadow brush.
I find the formulas kinda vary in terms of application. Some were soft and applied easily but darker shades that I tried seemed to have a bit of patchiness when applying. For example both Violet Beaute and Teal Couture both had a fair bit of patchiness during application. Pigmentation was great on all the shades with very smooth, even color when swatched. But sadly smooth, even color swatches aren’t what I’m looking for! I want that on my lids, not my arm! I will say the other three shades I tried which were Pain Au Chocolat, Sunset Seine, and Paris Beach applied very smooth and even.
I’m actually on the fence about this formula. It’s a considerable improvement upon shadow formulas we see currently at the drugstore that’s for sure. It’s sure as heck a lot nicer than the eyeshadows I’ve seen in the Maybelline the Rock Nudes Palette. However, it’s also an inconsistent formula that seems to vary from shade to shade and also has some minor potentially irritating application issues with fall out, patchiness, and a less than easy to apply formula with a regular eyeshadow brush.
L’Oreal Violet Beaute Les Monos
L’Oreal Teal Couture Les Monos
L’Oreal Sunset Seine Les Monos
L’Oreal Pain Au Chocolat Les Monos
L’Oreal Paris Beach Les Monos
L’Oreal Les Monos Swatches (Teal Couture, Violet Beaute, Paris Beach, Sunset Seine, Pain Au Chocolat)
I’ll just say I liked L’Oreal Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow but I didn’t love it. As drugstore eyeshadow continues to evolve this formula is a step in the right direction but still needs a few quirks to be perfect.
L’Oreal Colour Riche Monos Eyeshadow are launching now at drugstores or get them at Ulta.com and drugstore.com.
Tried ’em?
Share your thoughts!
Who would have thought Teal eye shadow could look so good?! It looks great on you!
oh you are TOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice! I thought it applied and looked patchy! thanks Dee 🙂 made my day haha!
Ah – but the Infailable shadows are perfect. Beautiful and amazing. I wish they would make more shades of those instead of bringing out a whole new line of more mediocre eyeshadows that are a dime a dozen at the drugstore!
From the way you describe the texture they sound like the Colourpop shadows and I freaking love those! I use my finger for application and blend with a synthetic brush (or my finger).
Not really Sara! Colourpop are kinda like clay, these aren’t really like that!
You are the second person I have heard say that there are 14 shades but I have them and counted them twice (just to be sure) and there are 15 shades total. I love these but they are so different from shade to shade. I wish they were more constant in terms of the formula because some I love and some not so much.
sorry?! I’ve only seen 14 so far! Might need to go count again lol! Likewise! I found some too frosty, others too flaky, but the mattes rather smooth and creamy. It’s a mismatch really. Darker ones seemed the worst for me, patchy application on those!
Ohhhh, the teal is gorgeous on you!
aw thanks!
Does the packaging indicate which are matte?
no, but it’s pretty easy to see which shades are matte and which aren’t from the clear window compact.
The colors look great on ya! Some seem ok but I can see what your talking about with certain ones. Loreal eyeshadow had always been more pigmented in my book than Maybelline. It could improve but workable.
Thanks Terry 🙂 yeah, kinda hot and miss with this formula but way better than Maybelline that’s for sure!
I liked the chocolate shade best on you. I like how you paired it with the tangerine lip color, and I must say you’re blush is beautiful.
thanks Ashley!!!!
I had high hopes for these, but I’m really disappointed. It’s probably better than the average DS shadow, but that’s not saying much ’cause most of them are horrible. For the teal shadow, the color is pretty, but I can see where it’s creasing and patchy on your lids 🙁 And I can see the fallout /crumbliness from just looking at the pans. Colour Pop has a much better formula/pigment for $5 each, new Cover Girl TruNaked kit ($12 for 8 shadows =$1.50 each) UD Vice Kit ( $60 for 20 shadows = $3 each) or even MUFE Artist shadow kit
I own two (that I finally got from Ulta although now they are in at my local Walgreens)… Cafe Au Lait and Little Beige Dress. Honestly I do not see what all the fuss is about. I plan to stash them in my desk drawer at work for days that I’m in a rush out the door. They’re discreet enough to stick in my pocket and use my fingers to put them on in a jiff in the ladies room. Perhaps that is their biggest plus!!! 😉
Love your review its spot on and I agree with everything you said. I feel like the formula of the shadows in their big Nude palettes are better than these, what do you think ?
Absolutely but those are a different texture completely 🙂